Collapsible support



March 17, 1970 R. R. KOVENER COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT Arron/ 7 INVENTOR. 20IV40 5?. KOl/'A/EIP 2 SheetsSheet 1 @ZMJYM Filed NOV. 18, 1968 4 March 17, 1970 R. R. KOVENER 3,501,072

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Eon/04o 1?. K0 vewae FIE: MMav W United States Patent 3,501,072 COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORT Ronald R. Kovener, Minnetonka Beach, Minn. (Rte. 1, Box 3A, Wayzata, Minn.) Filed Nov. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 776,627

Int. Cl. D06c /00 U.S. Cl. 223-66 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A knock-down head-shaped support 'for holding a head piece having a plurality of interlocked sheet-like members. Each member has a head-shaped outline with a neck portion and arms adapted to rest on a surface. A holder interlocks with the arms to retain the members in a relative spaced radial relation forming a globular or head-shaped support for holding a head piece. A releasable fastener connected to one of the members holds the support on a surface.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION Head-shaped forms are used to display and store head coverings or head pieces as wigs, wiglets, hats, head dresses and the like. These forms are rigid and bulky items made of blocks of wood, expanded foam plastic, or a fabric covered with fill material, as ground cork and the like. Examples of these types of head forms are shown in US. Patents No. 3,300,108, No. 3,132,778 and No. 3,310,267. The rigidity and size of the head forms make them unsuited for traveling. Head-shaped forms which can be inflated for use and deflated for storage or travel have been proposed. These have the disadvantages of being unusuable with pins for positioning wigs, etc., thereon; of not always inflating to an exact size or shape; and of being too unstable to support a wig or the like with or without some means of fastening the wig to the form.

The object of the invention is to provide a low cost, knock-down head type support which can be stored in a flat position and readily assembled into a head-like shape to provide a support for a head piece.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION The invention broadly relates to a support for holding a head piece or other items for covering an object. More particularly, the support is a collapsible apparatus having a plurality of interrelated members which are positioned relative to each other to define a head-like or other dimensional shape for supporting a head piece, as a wig, hat, head dress, wiglet, hair piece, coiflures, and the like or other articles. The members of the support have coacting means for releasably attaching the members to each other to define the three dimensional, globular or head-like shape. A means connected to each of the members holds the members in relative spaced relation to maintain the three dimensional shape.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the head piece support of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the support of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the support carrying a head piece;

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FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the holder used to maintain the head-like members in angularly spaced relative relation;

FIGURE 5 is a top view of the head piece support;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 66 in FIGURE 5 showing the base of the support; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional viewtaken along the line 77 in FIGURE 6.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, a collapsible or knock-down head piece support indicated generally at 10 resting on a flat surface 11 of an object, as a vanity, table or dresser. Support 10 has a generally globular or head-shaped outline following the contour of a human head for supporting and storing a head piece 12 used to cover a persons head. The term head piece includes but is not limited to a wig, hat, hair dressing, wiglet, hair piece and coiflure. Support 10 has a plurality of inter-related sheet-like members indicated generally at 13, 22, 34 and 44 which coact with each other to forma head-like stand or support for the head piece 12. The members are retained in circumferential spaced relation relative to each other by a holder 67. All of the sheet-like members 13, 22, 34 and 44 are formed from flat sheets of substantially rigid material, as cardboard, paper, sheet plastic, sheet metal and the like. The members will be of such character and thickness so as to be sufiiciently rigid and strong to provide the required support.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the first member 13 has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape of the head and a downwardly extended slot 14 extended along the center line of the member. The face or front 15 of the member is generally flat compared to the globular shape of the back of the member. The lower portion of the member narrows to a neck 16 connected to outwardly directed arms 18 and 19. The bottom surfaces of the arms 18 and 19 are flat. An upwardly directed central recess 21 separates the arms 18 and 19. The bottom of slot 14 is marked with an arrow 17 identified with indicia number 1.

A second member 22 has a transverse cross-sectional head shape which is symmetrical in outline. The lower portion of member 22 has a neck 23 and outwardly directed arms 24 and 26, divided with an upright central recess 27. A short upwardly directed slot 28 extends longitudinally through the neck 23 in alignment with a second downwardly directed slot 31 extended from the top of the member. A marking arrow 29 identified with indicia number 1 indicates the top of the slot 28. A marking arrow 32 identified with indicia number 2 in-v dicates the bottom of slot 31. Marking arrow 33 and associated indicia number 3 indicates the mid-portion of slot 31.

The third member 34 and the fourth member 44 are identical in shape. Each member 34 and 44 has the general shape of an oblique upright section of the head and follows the peripheral outline of the plane through the head which bisects the angle between the longitudinal and transverse planes of the head. Third member 34 has a neck 36 and outwardly directed arms 37 and 38 separated with a central upright recess 39. Extended upwardly through the neck is a first slot 41 which has a top identified with arrow 42 associated with indicia number 2. Aligned with the slot 41 is a second downwardly extended top slot 43.

.. Fourth member 44 has a neck 46.joined to outwardly directed arms 47 and 48 separated with a central upright recess 49. The neck 46 has downwardly directed tabs 51 extended into the recess 49. Each tab has a hole 52. The tabs 51 as well as the neck 46 are separated with a long upright slot 53. The top of the slot 53 is marked with arrow 50 associated with indicia number 3.

All of the slots 14, 28, 31, 41, 43 and 53 are of equal width but are of various lengths. Each member has a longitudinal unseparated portion 54, 55, 56 and 57 respectively which together form a continuous support from the bottom recess to the top or crown portion of th device.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 3, when the support is having inwardly directed slots 58 extending from a central portion of each side. The inner ends of diametrically opposed slots are spaced from each other a distance substantially equal to the width of the recess so that the central portion of the holder 67 will fit into the recess and engage the bottom portions of the central of the members. The central section of holder 67 has an elongated central opening 59 for accommodating the tabs 51 shown in FIGURES 6 and 7.

Fastening means 61, shown as a suction cup in FIG- URES 3, 6 and 7, is used to hold the entire support on the surface 11. The suction cup 61 has a pair of upwardly directed hooks 63 with turned end portions extended through the holes 52 to releasably attach the suction cup to the fourth member 44. Suction cup 61 fits in the recess and holds the fiat bottom edges of all arms on the surface 11.

In use, each of the members 13, 22, 34 and 44 intersect each other forming outwardly directed ribs having a general contour of a portion of a head. When all of the contours are considered jointly they form a head-like shape. The head piece 12 is draped over the support 10 and may be retained on the support with a fastener 64, as a hair pin, hat pin or the like.

The support is assembled by matching the indicia numbers 1, 2 and 3 on the members. The second member 22 is interlocked with the first member 13 by matching the numbers 1 whereby arrow 17 is aligned with arrow 29'. These members are normally disposed in respect to each other with the arms 18, 19, 24 and 26 forming part of the base 56. The second step comprises the interlocking of third member 34 with the assembled members 13 and 22. This is accomplished by inserting member 34 over the crossed portions of members 13 and 22 and matching indicia numbers 2 on members 22 and 34. The center portions of the members 13 and 22 fit into slot 41 until the arrows 32 and 42 are aligned with each other. The

slot 41 has a length equal to the portions 54 and 55 so that the top of the slot 41 rests on the bottom of the slot 31.

The fourth member 44 is then placed on all of the prior three interlocked members by moving the members into the slot '53 until the indicia numbers 3 are adjacent each other. When all of the members are interlocked with each other all the members have a substantially common apex point 66 and the bottom edges of arms 18, 19, 24, 26, 37, 38, 47 and 48 are all in substantially the sample plane. Slot 43 has a length approximately equal to the portion 57 so that the fourth member 44 holds all of the members in relative assembled relation.

arms of each of the members are inserted into the slots 58 and the tabs 51 are directed through the elongated opening 59. Suction cup 61 is attached to the tabs 51 by placing the hooks 63 in the holes 52.

All of the members of the support 10 except the suction cup 61 are flat so that when the support is in the knock-down position it may be readily stored in a container, as in a suitcase. The members 13, 22, 34 and 44 have pairs of indicia numbers 1, 2 and 3 coordinated with the structure of the several members so that the support may be readily and easily assembled into a head-like shape with a minimum of time, efforts and intelligence.

While thetabs 51, elongated opening 59 of holder 67, suction cup 61 and hooks 63 have been shown for fastening the support to a surface, it is to be understood that many other means could be used to hold the support in place and that the support would operate effectively without any such fastening means.

The invention is defined in the following claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A support for an article comprising: a plurality of human head-shaped members, each member being a flat sheet with a generally human head-shaped peripheral contour, cooperating longitudinal slot means in said members for releasably interlocking all members together to define a three dimensional human head shape, and means releasably connected to each member to hold the members in relative circumferential spaced relation to maintain the three dimensional human head shape.

2. The support of claim 1 wherein each member has a recess at one end thereof, said means connected to each member being located in said recess.

The relative angular positions of the members are 3. A support for an article comprising: a plurality of members, said members having coacting means for releasably attaching the members together to define a three dimensional shape, said plurality of members comprising a first member having a longitudinal downwardly extended slot, at least one intermediate member having an upwardly directed longitudinal slot and a downwardly directed longitudinal slot, and a last member having an upwardly directed longitudinal slot, said members being interlocked with each other through said slots and means connected to each member to hold the members in relative spaced relation to maintain the three dimensional shape.

4. The support of claim 3 including a fastener attached to a bottom portion of the last member for holding the support on an object.

5. The support of claim 4 wherein the fastener is a suction cup.

6. The support of claim 3 wherein each member is provided with indicia adjacent the slots to indicate the steps of assembly of the members and relative assembled location of the members to form the three dimensional shape.

7. The support of claim 3 wherein the means connected to each member comprises a flat holder having inwardly directed slots for accommodating portions of the members to retain the members in relative spaced relation to each other maintaining the shape defined by the support.

8. The support of claim 3 wherein each member has outwardly directed arms.

. 9. The support of claim 8 wherein each member has an upwardly directed recess between the arms, said means connected to each member being located in the recess.

10. The support of claim 3 wherein each member is a fiat sheetlike member having a generally head-shaped peripheral contour.

11. The support of claim 3 wherein each member has a recess at one end thereof, said means connected to each member being located in the recess.

12. A support for an article comprising: a plurality of members, said members having coacting means for releasably attaching the members together to define a three dimensional shape, said plurality of members comprising a first member having a longitudinal cross-sectional head shape and a longitudinal downwardly extended slot, a second member having a longitudinal cross-sectional head shape and an upwardly directed longitudinal slot and a downwardly directed longitudinal slot, a third member having a longitudinal cross-sectional head shape and an upwardly directed longitudinal slot, and a fourth member having a longitudinal cross-sectional shape and an upwardly directed lonigtudinal slot, said members being interlocked with each other through said slots to define a generally head-like shape and means connected to each member to hold the members in relative spaced relation to maintain the three dimensional shape.

13. The support of claim 12 wherein each member is provided with indicia adjacent the slots to indicate the steps of assembly of the members and relative assembled location of the members to define the head-like shape.

14'. The support of claim 12 wherein the means connected to each member comprises a holder having slots for accommodating portions of the members to retain the members in relative spaced relation to each other maintaining the head-like shape of the support.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,297 9/1931 Kemery 211-33 1,879,837 9/1932 Bierlich 248-174 2,456,964 12/ 1948 Ledure 248174 X 10 2,480,731 8/ 1949 Haughwout 21 133 MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

